


from now on (these eyes will not be blinded by the lights)

by iamirondad



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Peter Parker, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Mother-Son Relationship, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Pepper Potts Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22406203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamirondad/pseuds/iamirondad
Summary: The Parker Family worked alongside the Starks since the creation of their company.Following a tragic accident that leaves Peter Parker without a family, Tony goes against the pleas of the people closest to him and decides to adopt his godson. The duo fight against unpredictable odds as they enter a universe bigger than they truly understand.From Iron Man to Endgame.(Note: This is a revamped and improved version of a fanfiction I have already published.)
Relationships: Clint Barton & Peter Parker, Happy Hogan & Peter Parker, Happy Hogan & Tony Stark, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe) & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Avengers Team, Peter Parker & James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Peter Parker & Natasha Romanov, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Steve Rogers, Peter Parker & Thor, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 35
Kudos: 240





	1. suddenly the world seems a different place

**Author's Note:**

> Last year, I was new to the fanfiction world and inexperienced, I wasn't sure how everything worked on this site. When I originally published this piece, my chapters were barely 1,000 words, and for such a long fanfiction, it ended up taking up 133 chapters of space! As much as I adored that experience and the comments I received, I know that the length of the chapters was putting people off clicking.
> 
> I decided to reread, reshape and revamp it, so it will be easier for people to understand the story I was trying to tell. As the chapters are already written, I'll be updating a few times a week. The old version is still up if you wish to read ahead but personally, I wouldn't recommend it. 
> 
> If anyone who has read this story before revisits here, thank you! I hope you enjoy this updated version of the story :) Try not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read the original!

**June 2002**

Tony Stark could handle whatever life threw at him, he could go a week without sleep or survive hour-long meetings about subjects he already knew everything about. He could deal with unnaturally loud casinos, and the press twisting everything he did to fit their depiction of who he was, he could do all of that without batting an eyelid.

The only thing that he couldn't handle was Obadiah Stane's constant whining, his business partner had been at his throat since Tony had taken over the company. Like Howard Stark before him, Stane believed that Tony should devote his time to the company and leave room for little else.

"What is this?" Stane barked, pushing the blueprints Tony had carefully organized on his desk.

Tony brought his fingers to the brim of his nose, he leaned back in his chair to look up at Stane, who was glaring down at him, "Don't do that." He brushed his hand over the plans to rid the creases that Stane had created.

Stane leaned over and shoved the plans over the desk, the force of the movement tore one of the sheets down the middle, Tony tossed his pencil down and crossed his arms over his chest.

Stane placed a hand on his hip, "Are you even listening to me?!"

"No, were you talking?"

"Tony…" Stane said through gritted teeth, "What are you _doing_?"

"I'm designing something."

Stane exhaled deeply, "For the company?"

"No," He held up his finger to stop Stane from shouting, "But I'm allowed to have side projects."

"Not when they get in the way of what you should actually be doing!"

"Obi, Obi, Obi." Tony stood up, attempting to gain higher ground. He placed a hand on Stane's shoulder but moved it away cautiously when he noticed how tense and angry Stane was; Tony gestured back to the plans on the table, "I can balance work and social life. We released a shipment of new rifles last week."

"What is this _side project_ of yours!?"

"I'm calling it _Just A Rather Very Intelligent System._ " Tony told him; Stane balled his hands into fists, " _Jarvis_ for short."

"Do you think you're funny?"

"When it's done it will be amazing…" Tony said, "And Uncle Jarvis hopefully would have been proud."

"Tony...." He said in his usual obnoxious tone that Tony had grown to despise.

"Obi…" Tony said mockingly, "It's almost ten, an old man like you should be heading off to bed."

"This isn't over." Stane pointed out as he walked towards the exit.

Tony rolled his eyes and mumbled under his breath, "It never is."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." He hummed, "Goodnight Obi."

Stane went to say something, but he was cut off when Pepper came crashing through the main doors, she stopped in her tracks to catch her breath, her face was devoid of colour, and her hands were visibly shaking around the phone in her hand.

Tony stepped over, "Potts, what's wrong?"

"Umm…" She blinked away tears, "I'm sorry, Tony..."

"What's going on?" Tony asked, dread settling on his chest. Her haunted expression reflected the one his godmother, Peggy, had been wearing when she told him his parents had died, "Potts?"

"I just had a call…" Pepper swallowed the lump in her throat, "There was an accident...involving the Parkers."

"The Parkers!?!" Stane exclaimed as Tony tried to process the information.

Tony stared at her, trying not to crumble, "Are they…."

"They didn't make it," Pepper cried.

Tony brought a shaking fist up to cover his trembling lower lip, "Shit...who…."

"It was a car accident," She hiccupped, "It was Richard, Mary, Ben and his wife…May."

Tony’s mind turned to his godson, his heart plummeted, "Um, Pet--Peter?"

"Peter's okay."

Tony let out a choked sigh and a weight shifted off his shoulders. This was a tragedy, and he had lost some of his closest friends, but he found solace, knowing Peter was still alive.

"The detective needs you to head down; you were their…" Pepper sighed, "You were their first emergency contact."

"Got it." Tony scrambled out of his chair and grabbed his jacket.

Stane let out a deep exhale, "What a shame, the Parkers were great partners."

"Don't be so damn clinical about this," Tony scowled, "They weren't just business partners, they were our friends."

"Tony…"

Tony turned on his foot to face Pepper; he softened his expression and tone, "Where do I need to go?"

"112th Precinct, Austin Street," Pepper told him, "It was...an officer Gamble who phoned me."

"Okay." Without another word Tony rushed out, leaving a grief-stricken Pepper stood alone with an indignant Stane.

It didn’t take long to get to the 112th Precinct, and thankfully it was empty, the last thing Tony needed was to be noticed, not on a night like this, not after he _lost_ everything. He didn’t want the news of the Parker’s accident reaching the news tabloids prematurely, the station would be swamped by reporters and civilians, and Tony didn’t want Peter, a 10-month-old _orphan_ , to suddenly be the centre of attention.

Tony hovered in the entrance way, paralyzed to the spot. He had hurried over as fast as he could, he was sure he had broken many laws as he drove, but he didn’t care. Entering the station, the gravity of the situation settled on his shoulders. The Parkers were gone, and they were never coming back.

“Mr. Stark?”

He looked up at the source of the voice; a woman stood in uniform, a few steps in front of him, “Oh, hey, _yeah_. It’s me, umm.”

“Thank you for coming down,” She said softly, “I’m Officer Gamble, I’m so sorry about what had happened,” She gestured back, “Would you like to sit down?”

Tony pushed his sunglasses up his nose, “No.” He shook his head, “What happened?”

“They were involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver,” She explained; Tony clenched his fists by his sides, “The driver survived, and he is in police custody, so don’t worry.”

 _I will never let him see the light of day again_ , Tony thought. The Parkers deserved far better than losing their lives in such a gratuitous manner.

“Okay, I just need to ask some questions.” She told him, “You were listed as Mary and Richard Parker’s only emergency contacts, did they have any other relatives we can contact?”

“No, only Ben and May.” Tony told her, “Richard and Ben’s parents both died a few years ago and Mary...Mary’s parents died when she was a teenager. I’m not, I’m not sure about May.”

“That’s alright, May Parker’s family are already here.”

“Okay,” Tony crossed his arms, “ _Peter_ , Richard and Mary’s son.”

“He wasn’t in the accident,” She told him, “He was in the care of a babysitter, we have placed him with CPS for the night.”

“CPS?”

“Child Protective Services,” She explained, “They work with cases of an orphaned child, like Peter.”

“Got it...”

“Are you okay with us passing on your information to them so they can contact you in the morning?”

“Yes, that sounds like a plan.”

“You can wait over here while I call them,” She gestured to a row of seats in the corner of the room.

“Okay,” Tony muttered before walking over, he sat down at the end of the aisle as Gamble went over to her desk.

“Mr. Stark?” A woman sat a few chairs down said, she blinked away tears, “Sorry, I’m June, May’s cousin.”

“Okay, hello,” He swallowed, “I’m sorry--”

“I’m sorry too.” She said softly, “This is so horrible. I feel for...Richard’s son, what’s his name?”

“Peter.”

“Oh, bless his heart,” She sighed, “So young to have lost his parents.”

Tony hummed, knowing precisely what it was like to be an orphan, although Peter was too young to understand the loss, “Miss…”

“ _Reilly_ , but you can call me June.”

“June,” Tony took off his sunglasses, he hooked them on his shirt, “I know this is so soon, but I just want to say, I will cover funeral costs for all of them, and I’ll sort everything out, it’s the least I can do for them now.”

“I will discuss it with my family,” She said, “But thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem.”

Another woman stepped over, she sat next to June, she was crying, loudly and unashamed, “Oh, Carmen,” June cried; Carmen’s face fell onto her shoulder, June wrapped her arm around her, “It’s okay.” Carmen was clearly younger than June, but only by a few years, Tony assumed they were sisters. He tried not to stare, but it was quite difficult to look anywhere else.

Carmen leaned back, she scanned Tony before turning to June, “ _I can’t believe this is happening_ ,” She cried out, in Italian.

Tony darted his eyes away to the floor; he knew he couldn’t interrupt their personal conversation, not while they were talking about losing their cousin, in such a tragic way. Part of him thought about interrupting them, to tell them that he spoke Italian and could understand what they were saying, he just didn’t have it in his heart to cut into their conversation.

“ _I know_ ,” June sighed, “ _This is so unfair_.”

“ _Why is he here_?” Carmen asked, clearly referring to Tony.

“ _He worked with Richard_.”

“ _Right_ ,” Carmen sniffled, “ _What’s happening with Richard’s son_?”

“ _I don’t know_.” June admitted, “ _He’ll probably go into the foster system._ ”

“No.” Tony cut in, both women turned to look at him, utterly stunned.

Tony didn’t know what he was saying or doing. A thought crossed his mind, a primal instinct that he didn’t have time to contemplate, as the women were staring at him, waiting for him to finish what he was saying. He didn’t have time to think over the implications of the thought, the instant change that he would have to make to his life. The idea was single-handedly the worst but best decision that he had ever had, and he knew it was the one he had to make.

“Peter’s coming home with me.”

Before June and Carmen had the chance to respond, he politely excused himself before rushing outside, he took out his phone, quickly searched for Pepper’s number and then held it up to his ear, “Potts?”

“ _Tony_?” She sniffled, “ _You okay_?”

“I’m okay, considering,” He darted his eyes down to the ground, “Potts, I know you’re meant to be off the clock, but I need your help.”

“ _Of course_.”

“I’m going to find a way to bring Peter back with me.”

Pepper hesitated, in the silence Tony could hear his blood rushing in his ears, “ _Like for the night_?”

“No, I mean indefinitely.”

“ _Tony_ …” She trailed off, “ _Tony, you need to think about this. Peter is a baby. Everything would change, and I mean everything_.”

“He has no one else.” Tony told her, “Apart from me. I’m his godfather. I have to do--”

“ _There is a huge difference between being his godfather and being his father_.”

“Potts,” He sighed, “I know it’s...irrational, and out of character but I just, I know in my heart that this is what I have to do.”

“ _Okay_.” She said, short and simple. Tony was surprised, he had expected her to be more against the idea, “ _What do you need me to do_?”

“Can you order things?” He asked, bowing his head into his hand, “Like a car seat, a crib, toys, clothes. Everything a baby needs, I guess.”

“ _I’ll get right on it_.”

“Thank you,” He sighed, “And, um, when it all arrives have it set up in the guest room next to mine.”

“ _Got it_.” She told him, “ _Is there anything else_?”

“Yeah, can you find me a room near me?” He asked, “Peter is with social services tonight, so I need to hang around.”

“ _Of course, I’ll book something now and send you the details_.” She said, “ _Should I tell Happy he needs to come and collect you in the morning_?”

“Yes, tell him I will send him the time and place,” Tony sighed, “Thank you, Miss. Potts.”

“ _No problem_ ,” Pepper said in a reassuring tone, “ _Take care of yourself, Tony_.”

“See you tomorrow.” He snapped his phone shut as he darted his eyes up at the buildings in front.

He couldn’t change his mind. This was final, it had to be. He didn’t care how complicated it was; he didn’t even care about how Obadiah would inevitably react.

He had Pepper’s support. _Yes_ , she was rightfully wary, but he could tell by her voice, that part of her believed in him, and her support alone was enough.

Tony didn’t sleep that night, the hotel was fine, but it was too spacious and lonely. He couldn’t stop thinking about Peter and who was with him, if he was scared, or aware that his parents weren’t around. Mary always said that Peter would grow up to be a ‘ _people pleaser,’_ because he loved everyone, he wanted hugs and affection all the time. He was still afraid though, Peter loved everyone, but when he was tired or reckless, he wanted someone he knew. He was out there, surrounded by strangers, and Tony wanted to be with him.

Tony never thought he would get along with kids, but Peter wormed his way into his heart, faster than anyone before. Everyone in Tony’s life looked at him and expected so much from him, to see who they thought he was. Peter was too young to expect anything, he didn’t know who Tony was or had been, he just looked at him like he was a superhero.

Happy arrived early the next morning to take Tony to the Child Protection Services. They arrived an hour before they were meant to get there.

Every time Tony closed his eyes, he saw them, _the Parkers,_ a family he trusted with his life. The legacy on Peter’s small shoulders was substantial, Tony knew what that was like, he had been older when his parents died, but he understood how a legacy left behind by an untimely death can shape who you become.

He wasn’t going to let that happen to Peter, he would never leave him with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Tony made Happy wait in the car, against his bodyguard’s wishes. Tony was seated in a waiting area; his leg bounced with anticipation as he waited to be seen.

“Mr. Stark,” A man stepped over and held out his hand; Tony stood up and shook it, “I’m Alan, I’m the executor for Mary and Richard’s will. I was told to meet you here this morning to talk over everything involving Peter.”

“Yes, well, thank you for coming.”

Alan held his hand back, “Should I ask them to find us an office space?”

“No, here should be fine,” Tony said, there was no one else in the waiting room, it was early in the morning, and the place was desolate.

“Alright.” Alan pulled out one of the chairs and turned it around; Tony sat down opposite him, Alan took a folder out of his bag and laid it down on his lap, “So, I’ve arranged for Peter to be brought here in the next few hours. Usually, it’s best to keep a recently orphaned child in an environment they are familiar with as they can adjust better, but it seems his parents moved around a lot, never stayed in the same place too long.”

“They moved with their work,” Tony said guiltily, knowing that was partially his fault.

“Yes.” Alan nodded, “Um, well, did Richard and Mary ever discuss their guardianship arrangements with you?”

“No.”

“Well, in their will, we talked about who would take care of Peter in the unlikely circumstance that they both died,” He explained, “And unfortunately Ben and May Parker were listed first and would have been his primary guardians had they not passed away also. Mary believed they should leave another guardian, so they named you.”

Tony’s mouth twitched into a smile, if Mary and Richard trusted him enough to be named a legal guardian, then he could do this, “So, what does that mean?”

“It will make this process easier for you, and for Peter.” Alan started, “Because you already named you as a potential guardian, so today you will be granted temporary custody of Peter, and you can take him home. I will set up a court hearing for next week where you will receive legal and permanent custody.”

“Is this the same as…” Tony stuttered, “Is that the same as adoption?”

“No.” Alan said, “You will have legal custody of Peter, but adoption is a different process that you can go through after all of this if you so wish.”

“Got it.”

The rest of the morning flew by Tony; one moment, he was talking to Alan, and the next, he was sitting with a social worker signing forms that granted him temporary custody of his godson. He kept ignoring calls from Obadiah, who he had elected to keep in the dark, knowing he was going to have a lot to say.

“Just sign here.” The social worker said softly, pointing to the sheet; Tony signed across the dotted line, before sliding it back over to her.

A woman walked into the room, holding Peter; Tony’s breath caught, and he stared at his godson for a while, like he wasn’t really there but he was, and it was surreal. Peter was the same kid that he’d always been, but his parents, Uncle and Aunt were gone. It was as simple as that, he was still alive, and they weren’t, in the blink of an eye. It had only been three weeks since Tony had last seen Peter, but with everything that had happened, it felt like years. Peter had grown more than Tony had expected; the kid had a mop of unruly brown hair, which the social worker kept messing with as they bounced around.

“Peter,” Tony uttered, he scrambled from his chair and hurried over, all his fears washed away, simply at the sight of his godson.

Peter’s wide eyes focused on Tony, and he cooed happily as he outstretched his hands, yearning for him, “Oh,” The social worker smiled, “Somebody wants you.”

Tony had one pet peeve, a trait he had never overcome and didn’t plan on doing so; he despised being handed things, that trait had followed him all his life, but at that moment, he didn’t mind. He cautiously took hold of Peter, and he placed a hand against his back as the kid nuzzled his face against his shoulder.

“Hey there, baby.” Tony muttered into Peter’s ear, “I’m sorry...” He rubbed his back and slowly twirled around the room, “I’m sorry they’re gone….” Tony knew that Peter didn’t understand a word he was saying, but he didn’t care, they needed saying, “I know what this feels like, well I kind of know how this feels. I guess. I was older than you, but--” He swallowed the lump in his throat, “Your parents loved you, kiddo, _God_ they loved you more than anything. Trust me, I know.”

Peter pulled his head back, and he gargled in response; Tony smiled at him before leaning in to bop his nose. Peter’s face scrunched up as he giggled, he enthusiastically flapped his hands around, he reached forward to squeeze his hand around Tony’s nose.

Tony chuckled under his breath as he shook his head, “Yeah, that’s my nose.” Peter tugged on it gently, “Be careful, though, bud, it’s my only one.” Peter tucked his face against Tony’s shoulder again, “Okay Peter, what do you think? _Ready to start the rest of our lives_?”

Peter didn’t cry or fuss on the drive back, he was too busy looking around the car. Tony didn’t take his eye off him, and Happy didn’t say a word, but Tony could tell he was dying too.

Happy dropped them off outside, Tony said the quickest goodbye, and even Peter waved. Tony hurried towards the front door as fast as he could, with an over-excited Peter in his arms.

An invisible weight shifted of Tony’s chest as soon as the door was shut behind him.

Peter swung out one of his arms and blew a raspberry, “You like it here, bud?” Tony asked; Peter gurgled his response, “Yeah, me too.”

“Tony?” Pepper emerged from around the corner, her face softened at the sight of Peter, and she shuffled over to them.

Tony smiled warmly, “Hey, Miss. Potts.”

“Hey.” She said quietly, Peter moved his hand around and cooed, passionately, “Oh,” She combed her fingers through Peter’s hair, “Hey, sweetheart.” She looked up at Tony, her smile morphed into a determined line, “I think...we need to talk.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, Tony.” She said sharply, “Right now.”

“Okay…”

Pepper turned on her heel, not saying another word. She walked over towards the living room, not leaving Tony with any other option but to follow her, he did so quietly.

A red and gold playpen had been assembled together in the middle of the living room, set up ready for Peter’s arrival, Tony pointed at it and opened his mouth agape, in over-exaggerated excitement, “Look, Pete, how cool is this?”

“Tony,” Pepper said, attempting to catch his attention.

His face fell, and he looked over to her, “I know, I know.”

“Let’s sit down,” Pepper said, her tone gentler this time, she took a seat at the end of one of the couches.

“Oh, it’s one of those _‘we need to sit down_ ’ talks,” Tony joked, “I don’t think we’ve had one of these since the whole or-”

“Tony.” She snipped, “Not right now.”

Tony dropped his comedic bravado and nodded, “Let me just put him down, and then I’m all yours.” He carefully guided Peter down into the playpen, “There you go, bud.” He stepped away and sat on the other couch, opposite Pepper, “What do you want to talk about?”

“Peter.”

Tony looked over at his godson, who was happily chewing his new toys and tossing them around, his joy was painful to watch, he was too young to realise what he had lost.

“Yes…” Tony darted his eyes away from him, “Peter.”

Pepper kept her eyes locked on Tony, “I need you to think about this properly.”

Tony frowned, and he straightened his posture, “Wait.” He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head towards his shoulder, “I was under the impression that you believed that I could do this. Last night, you said--”

“I know what I said.” She cut in, “But when you called me, it was such a surprise. And I knew I wasn’t going to be able to change your mind...not over the phone.”

“I’m not gonna change my mind.”

“Tony, hear me out.” She pressed her hand on her chest, “I know you more than I know myself…”

“Potts...”

“I need you to listen.” She pleaded, “Before Rhodey gets here, and before Obadiah finds out.”

She froze, obviously scared of what she had to say; Tony nodded for her to continue.

She let out a shaky breath and pointed over to Peter, “When I said your life was going to change, I didn’t just mean your work.” She admitted, “I meant _you_ , Tony.” She wiped away tears with the back of her hand, “You’re gonna have to change. I have never judged you for how you live your life because it is yours to live, but I have to now... _I have to_.”

“I know.”

“Do you?” She asked, “Do you realise how much you have to change? You can’t live down in your workshop 24/7. You can’t be reckless in public, or party all week long.”

Tony wiped a hand over his face, “That’s not me.” Pepper’s eyebrows knitted together, “Okay, that made more sense in my head.”

“Tony…”

“I’ve never been entirely comfortable with my lifestyle.” He blurted, Pepper leaned back, stunned by his sudden openness, “I never have, it’s so easy to get a reputation, and it’s so hard to lose _, you know?_ I know what people are gonna say about this, that I’m stupid, or just doing this for attention, but I’m not.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Because they were _our_ friends.” His throat cracked; he bowed his head down, not wanting Pepper to see the damage, “They deserve... _deserved_ better. And where there is a Stark, there is always a Parker. We stick together. He’s got no one, but _me_.”

“You’re really gonna do this, aren’t you?”

“I’m gonna try.” He chuckled humorlessly, “My dad was…” He shrugged and held up his hands in front of him, he clapped them together, “I gotta break the cycle of shame.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah, I believe you.” She vowed, “And I’ll stick by you, both of you.”

“Thank you, Miss. Potts.”

Waiting for Rhodey to arrive was nerve-wracking, because Tony knew exactly what he was going to say and how he was going to act, he wouldn’t be as gentle, and understanding as Pepper was.

Tony had managed to get Peter to sleep, and he was tucked up in the crib in his new room.

Tony waited in the kitchen, the perfect place to hear the front door, and Peter, if he grew restless. Tony preoccupied himself by washing and sterilizing Peter’s baby bottles.

He heard Rhodey hurry through the front door, then give Pepper a half-hearted ‘ _hello’_ before rushing to the kitchen.

“Tony!” He called, “I’m not kidding when I say that this better be some sort of ridiculously late and stupid April’s fool’s joke because if it’s not, I’m gonna--”

Tony turned around to look at him, his friend was hovering in the door, his eyes locked onto the baby bottle in Tony’s hand, “Gonna what, self-destruct?”

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Washing up.” Tony tossed the empty bottle in his hand and caught it with the other, he placed it down on the drying rack.

Rhodey brought his fingers up to the brim of his nose, “I’m tripping, or this is a joke. Tell me now.”

Tony pretended to think about it, he popped his lips and headed to the door, “It’s neither.” He squeezed past Rhodey and walked away, his friend followed quickly behind.

“Please, _please_ , Tony.” Rhodey stuttered, “I’m not kidding.”

Tony scoffed as he turned into the living room, “Neither am I.” He took Peter’s _Winnie The Pooh_ blanket off the couch and tossed it over his shoulder, “You know?” He sat on the back of the couch, “I can literally sense your silent judgement.”

Rhodey shook his head, “I’m in a coma, _aren’t I?_ I’m dying, and this is like some sort of fever dream.”

Tony snorted and waved his hand out in front of him, “It really isn’t, everything you’ve heard is true.”

“If you’re not pulling my leg, right now, this is the most irrational and reckless thing you’ve ever done!” He shouted, Tony cringed at his raised voice, “And that’s saying something!”

“Can you keep your voice down?”

“Oh, come on,” Rhodey rolled his eyes, “This can’t be real.”

Tony pointed to the stairs, “I only just got him to sleep.”

“Tony…” Rhodey said through gritted teeth.

“Rhodey…” Tony mirrored, mocking his tone.

“Please stop this.”

Tony’s need to joke around faded, “Okay, enough of this, back and forth. Richard and Mary, Peter’s parents, they _died_. That happened. No joke there.”

Rhodey’s face dropped, and he swallowed the guilt in his throat, “Yes, of course, I’m sorry.”

“Well, ‘ _sorry_ ’ isn’t gonna bring them back now, is it?” Tony didn’t mean to sound so harsh, not to Rhodey, but he hadn’t really given himself time to realise his friends were gone, not when he had Peter to think about.

“I know.” Rhodey said softly, “Tony, is Peter really here?”

“Yes.”

Rhodey stepped back, bringing his closed fist to his mouth, “Oh my God.”

“He’s here, and he’s staying.”

“He’s just a kid!”

“I know that!” Tony exclaimed, “I guess, Jesus. I guess he’s _my_ kid now.”

“Tones.” Rhodey hissed, “You can’t handle this, you can barely even take care of yourself.”

Tony frowned and recoiled his head back, “Thanks for the vote in confidence.”

“I was there after you got a traffic cone stuck on your head.”

Tony couldn’t hold back a chuckle, “That’s where your mind goes when you’re looking through my track record.”

“We were in the emergency room for three hours.”

“I guess our college years were rather hectic.”

“That was last year.”

“Oh.” Tony shrugged, “Point taken.”

“Look, you’re grieving.” Rhodey said, empathetically, “You cannot make a decision like this right now.”

“Already did.” Tony pointed out, “I’m not going back now. I can’t.”

“Tony!”

Peter started crying, the sound reverberated down the stairs. Rhodey’s eyes widened, and he jolted around. Tony barged past him, “I told you to stay quiet.”

Rhodey muttered inaudible sentences to himself as they both hurried up the first set of stairs.

Peter’s door had been left open, Tony hurried over to the cot and leaned over, he scooped Peter up into his arms, “Hey, baby.” Tony side-eyed Rhodey, who was paralysed to the spot, Peter kept crying, “Don’t be scared of him, he’s just an evil platypus.” He bounced him around, and slowly, his cries started to subside, “That’s better.”

“Wow.”

Tony loved the way Rhodey’s face melted at the sight of Peter, it was endearing, but also hilarious. Tony wished he could have caught it on video, but he stored it to the back of his mind, ready to use to tease him in the future.

“He doesn’t bite.” Tony joked.

“Shut up.” Rhodey moved closer and held up his hand, Peter grabbed his index finger and tugged it towards him, “Yeah, that’s my finger.”

“This is your Uncle Rhodey.”

Rhodey chuckled nervously, “No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Peter cooed loudly, stopping the argument. Tony broke down in a fit of laughter, “See? This is all gonna work out.”

Rhodey shook his finger, unable to escape Peter’s grasp, “This is crazy.”

Tony’s face softened, “I really need you on this one, honey bear.”

“I’m totally gonna regret this.” Rhodey sighed, “But okay.”

Rhodey had to leave for a meeting, but Tony could tell he still had a million questions, so did Pepper, but she was less obvious than Rhodey was, she left around midnight, leaving Tony with pages of instructions.

Peter slept most of the night, he woke up a few times, and it didn’t take long for Tony to settle him. Tony was the restless one. _Turns out_ , he was a pretty paranoid person, so he ended up sleeping on the floor, next to Peter’s crib. In the morning, Tony didn’t wake up with the intention of staying in his workshop all day, and he didn’t have an incredible hangover either.

Peter was the only thing on his mind.

Tony spent all morning playing with him and reading baby books, attempting to wrap his mind around how everything worked.

He sat on the living room floor with his back leaning against the couch. He was surrounded by many toys; Peter was crawling around, picking everything up and passionately tossing it across the room.

Peter placed his hands on Tony’s knee and cooed, Tony smiled, “What do you want?” He noticed a red plastic cube by his side, he picked it up and held it out, “You want this. Go crazy, bud.” Peter took it, and slumped down onto his backside, Tony leaned forward, “You wanna hear something cool?”

Peter waved his hands in front of them, he threw the cube down and blew a few bubbles as he giggled.

“I will take that as a _yes_.” Tony said, “You see, I’m making this system, called _Jarvis_ , you’re gonna love him, he’ll be able to talk to us and do things for us.”

Peter blabbered and gaped up at Tony.

“Yeah, it is quite cool.” Tony chuckled, “I’m not sure what accent he should have yet.” He picked up two cubes, “British?” He said, placing down a blue block in front of Peter, “Or American?” He placed a red cube next to the other.

Peter slapped his hand down on the blue block.

“ _British_? You think?” Tony quizzed, “Um, I guess my Uncle Jarvis was British, you would have liked him.”

Pepper stepped in, she was trembled on the spot, and all the colour from her cheeks was gone.

Tony raised a quizzical eyebrow, “Have you just seen a ghost?”

She tried to speak, but her words died in the throat, she coughed, “Um, I just told Obadiah.”

Tony’s breath halted, “God.” He brushed a hand through his hair and ignored the panicked thumping in his ears, “I bet that went down like a lead balloon, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left that to you.”

“No, it’s okay.” She pointed back to the front door, “He’s on his way, and Tony-”

“He won’t do anything.” Tony told her, “He wouldn’t dare.”

“I’ve never heard him so angry.”

“It’s Obadiah.” He pointed at his chest, “He was mad when my parents had me.” He picked up Peter, and jumped up onto his feet, his godson nuzzled into his hold, “What did he say to you?”

“He said he wasn’t gonna leave until he got rid of…” She trailed off, Tony gave her a few seconds, “Um, that _thing_.”

Tony absentmindedly tightened his grip around Peter, “Jesus.”

“He’ll be here soon.”

“Hey, I got this.” He reassured her, “It’s me, I’m not scared of anything.”

The doorbell rang through the house, both Pepper and Tony jolted back at the sudden sound.

“Wow.” Tony attempted to catch his breath, he turned his head and kissed Peter’s temple, “We got this.”

Pepper let out a small, high-pitched hum and followed behind Tony as he gingerly approached the door.

Tony pressed the button on the wall, and the door clicked open. He took a conscious step back, Peter waved his arms around, blissfully unaware of the situation.

Stane stormed in, almost tearing the door off its hinges, his face burnt red, and he was practically foaming at the mouth.

Tony’s breath hitched, “Afternoon.” His attempt to sound nonchalant died in an instant.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Stane barked.

“I have _no idea_ what you are talking about.”

Stane held out his finger and pointed it at Peter. Tony couldn’t tell why, but something about how Stane was staring at Peter, rubbed him up the wrong way, it was almost sickening. “That kid is going today. _End of_! You hear me?!”

“Oh, loud and clear.”

“Right now.” Obadiah clicked his fingers and pointed at the startled form of Pepper, “Before this hits the press--”

“I’m gonna stop you right there.” Tony snapped, “Because that isn’t happening.”

“What?!” Obadiah spat; he clenched his fist.

“That isn’t happening,” Tony repeated; Peter moved his head around, and within a second, he burst out into tears. “Oh.” Tony attempted to soothe him, but it wasn’t easy with Stane glaring at them, “Shush, baby.”

“This needs sorting out.” Obadiah fumed, paying Peter no attention.

“Shut up,” Tony ordered.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” Obadiah bellowed, “This is gonna ruin the company.”

“Oh, like I did?” Tony counter-argued, keeping his voice as quiet as he possibly could.

“Don’t start that--”

“I had it for _nineteen years_.” He cut him off, “I can bring it up.” He turned to Pepper, “Potts, sorry, do you mind?”

“No, of course not.” She moved forward and carefully took the crying Peter out of Tony’s arms. She turned and walked away, Tony watched as they went, his heart yearning to comfort Peter. _God, is this what being a father feels like?_

“Tony.” Obadiah’s menacing voice snapped him back to reality.

Tony held his hand up, trying to silence him, “There are no words. Nada. There is nothing you can say that is gonna change my mind.”

“Starks are not meant to be fathers.”

“Ha, no.” Tony chuckled humorlessly, “My dad wasn’t meant to be a father, I’m not my dad.”

Obadiah snorted, “You keep telling yourself that.”

“From now on, Peter’s my kid.” Tony told him, “My responsibility. Whether you like it or not.”

“Um, whatever you say.” Obadiah shrugged, he clicked his tongue, “But don’t you dare come running to me when this goes sideways.”

“It won’t.”

“It’s you, Tony. It always does.”

“Great.” Tony clapped his hands together, “You can go now. Let the door hit you on the way out _._ ”

Tony would never win over Obadiah, the man’s heart and spirit were as cold as ice, so Peter’s _‘cute factor’_ wouldn’t help either, Obadiah was one victory they would never claim.

Tony didn’t care, he had the support of the people closest to him; Pepper, Rhodey and Happy. They were confused, _yes_ , but as the days went by, that confusion faded. Peter being in their day-to-day lives became a _normality_ , and they all loved him, but no one more than Tony.

Losing the Parkers was difficult.

Sometimes, Tony would wake up and forget that they weren’t around anymore. He would never work with them again or receive an early morning call from Richard, after he made a discovery in one of their upcoming projects. _It hurt,_ almost as much as when he lost his parents, but this time, he didn’t drown himself in alcohol. Instead, he became a dad, and he lost himself in his newfound responsibility, he couldn’t save the Parkers, but he could raise their son, to the best of his ability.

Peter sat in his bright purple baby door bouncer, that Tony had attached to the main entrance way of his workshop, he was sitting on the desk nearby, messing with the voice control on _Jarvis_.

“We’re almost done, baby.” Tony sang gleefully, “We just need to find the right voice, fancy helping me with that?” Peter gurgled and blew a few bubbles, Tony threw his hand back, “Exactly.” He hit down on the space bar.

“ _Good afternoon, sir._ ” A computerised voice echoed through the room, Tony cringed and shook his head.

“Oh no, that’s horrible.” He twirled his chair around, “Right, kiddo?” Peter stopped bouncing and stared at him, “ _Rubbish_? Yes, I agree.” He hit the bar again, “Next one?"

“ _Good afternoon, sir_.” This voice sounded more human, but it was slow.

“Hmm.” Tony hummed, Peter stared down at his toes, “Boring, right? I agree.” He rubbed his palms together, “Third time lucky, hey?” He hit the button, once more.

 _“Good afternoon, sir.”_ A clear British accent greeted him; a smile crawled on Tony’s face.

“Oh.” Tony whistled, Peter started to bounce around, gleefully, “Yeah, I like this one too! Jarvis, you there?”

_“Yes. All my functions are operational, sir.”_

_"_ Wow.” Tony gasped, he cupped a hand over his mouth, “ _Wow_!” He bolted up from his chair and unhooked Peter from his bouncer and picked him up, “We did it, kiddo.” He celebrated, “Okay, let’s test this. Jarvis, who is this?”

_“Peter Parker, sir.”_

Tony grinned, “Face recognition system is running then.”

 _“I did say that all my functions are operational,”_ Jarvis replied, his tone almost sarcastic.

Tony frowned, “Oh, of course my creation talks back.”

“ _Sir, there is someone approaching the front door.”_ Jarvis informed him, “ _Her face seems to match my records of your social worker, Jane Watts.”_

“Ah, thank you.” Tony grinned, he turned and bopped Peter’s nose, “It’s one of her surprise visits, let’s go.”

Tony hurried up the stairs, Jane was stood with Pepper in the main entrance way, “Good afternoon, Miss. Watts.”

“Mr. Stark.” She smiled, “Should we sit down?”

“Of course.” Tony told her, “Right this way.” He guided her towards the living room, “Sorry about the mess.” Peter’s toys were scattered all over the floor.

“No problem.”

Tony placed Peter down on the floor amongst his toys, before sitting himself down on the end of the couch, Jane sat opposite him.

“So, how is it going?” She asked.

“Good.” He smiled, “ _Better._ ”

“I’m glad.” She said, “Last time, you mentioned that he was having trouble sleeping through the night, has that improved at all?”

Tony would never admit that he had been the one struggling to sleep, that was a secret between him and Peter, “Yes, I brought on of those bed-side cribs, it attaches to my bed, so now we sleep straight through the night.”

“That’s great.” She scribbled into the notepad rested on her legs, “Has Peter reached any new milestones recently?”

“He started cruising a few weeks ago.” Tony said proudly, “And he eats all of his food.” He held out his hands, “Broccoli is his favourite, which I think is good because kids don’t usually like vegetables.”

She chuckled lightly, “That’s really good. He seems to really be settling in with you. Is there anything you’re struggling with, at all?”

Tony scratched his chin, “I guess the press can be a problem, but of course, that’s my fault but--”

“You don’t have to blame yourself for that.” She informed him, “Plenty of famous people foster and adopt children, and we can definitely help you with that process.”

“Thank you.”

Peter moved his hands onto the edge of the couch and guided himself up onto his feet; he cruised across towards Tony.

“ _Oh_ , are you showing off now?” Tony laughed, watching Peter stumble along.

Peter looked up at him wearing his cheekiest grin, he held up his hand and squeezed it together, “Dada.”

Tony’s heart leapt up into his throat, and he tapped the back of his ear with two fingers, “Um, what?”

Jane let out a small laugh, “I’m guessing that hasn’t happened before.”

“No.” Tony scooped Peter off the floor, and kept him held upright, as Peter stood on his legs, “Did you just say something, baby?”

“Dada!” Peter blurted out again.

Tony’s eyes glistened with tears, “You’re a genius.”

That evening, Rhodey came over, uninvited. He claimed it was just a casual visit, but Tony could tell that Peter was growing on him,

All three of them sat in the living room, on the floor.

Rhodey was knelt down on his knees directly in front of Peter, who was completely oblivious to the attention, “Come on, Pete. It’s easy, really. It’s just ‘ _Row-de._ ’”

Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes, “Are you serious?”

“What? He’s already said ‘ _dada_.’”

“Already?” Tony said defensively, “It was his first word, buzzkill.”

“And, yes it was adorable.” Rhodey told him, “The first hundred times.”

“Dada, dada, dada.” Peter chanted enthusiastically.

“Hundred and three...” Rhodey corrected, “But now we’ve gotta step up.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, “And, Rhodey is a step up from dada, is it?”

“Obviously.”

Peter crawled over to Tony and nudged his leg, “Dada, dada!”

“Yes, I’m here, bud.” Tony helped Peter up onto his lap; his _son_ proceeded to stomp on his legs, “When did this happen?”

“When did _what_ happen?”

Tony pointed at Peter, “When did I become a jungle-gym?”

Rhodey shrugged, “That’s part of the job description.”

“I guess.”

“So, _dada_ , then?” Rhodey started, “Does that help?”

“Help, what?”

“Just last week you were panicking about if Pete was gonna call you ‘Tony’ or ‘Dad.’”

“Um, well, guess he made the decision.” He brushed his hand through Peter’s hair, “Didn’t you, bud?”

“Dada!”

Tony placed a kiss on Peter’s forehead, “Exactly.”

Rhodey snorted and rested his chin in his hand as he watched them.

“Something funny?” Tony asked.

“No, it just,” He stuttered, “…It suits you.”

“What?”

“Being a dad…I guess.”

“You think?”

Rhodey gestured to them, “I know.”

Tony twiddled his fingers through Peter’s hair, “I was looking into the long-term, for Peter and I.”

“Adoption?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, “I think so.”

“That’s great!”

“So, Peter Stark-Parker or Peter Parker-Stark?”

Pepper skipped in, “Oh, definitely Peter Parker-Stark.”

“Yeah.” Rhodey agreed, “It’s less of a mouthful.”

Pepper stood behind Rhodey, she smiled at Peter and Tony, “Sounds like a superhero name to me.”

Tony chuckled and nodded, “Yeah, it does.”


	2. no distance could ever tear us apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PSA: To make my job easier, this takes place in New York, instead of Malibu. Nothing much changes besides names of places etc. Their Malibu mansion will make an appearance later on.
> 
> Warning: Panic Attack

**Iron Man**

When Tony was seven, he built a working motorbike without assistance, and he'd thought that was quite impressive but looking back on it, it was lonely. At that age, he should have been outside playing with other children, instead of always trying to impress his estranged father. Tony was more than glad that his son had a different goal for his seventh year, which was to collect every single Happy Meal toy that _McDonald's_ had to offer so that he could receive some bizarre form of playground credibility. 

Tony walked into McDonald’s, with Peter sat on his shoulders, humming to himself; Happy stood a few paces back, watching them. Tony ignored the stares from people who recognised him, he pushed his signature sunglasses up the brim of his nose, "Okay Pete, which one do you need?"

He crouched to let Peter jump down from his shoulders, the kid bounced over to the shelf where the toys were being displayed behind the plastic casing. The toys were for the film _Hotel For Dogs_ which they had seen three consecutive times to Peter's delight, "I just need Cooper!"

"Cooper, hey?" Tony asked, "That one." He pointed at the small plush toy dog, Peter nodded enthusiastically, "Got it, come on let's order." He held out his hand, and Peter gripped on tightly, "Cheeseburger or chicken nuggets?" 

"Cheeseburger, please." 

"You got it, buddy." He turned his back to his bodyguard, "Do you want anything, Hap?"

Happy shook his head, "No thank you, sir."

Tony nodded before walking over to their server, who was staring at them, with a dropped gob, "Be careful son, you'll catch flies." Tony remarked, the boy snapped his jaw shut, "Can I get a Quarter Pounder with a coke please?" Tony looked down to Peter, who was studying the display case, with wide-eyes, "And can he get a Happy Meal, with a cheeseburger, fries and an orange juice? To go please."

"Yeah." The server keyed in the order, "Do you want fries with yours, sir?"

"No thanks."

"That will be $9.57."

Tony inserted his card and keyed in his number, "With the Happy Meal, is there any chance he can get the Cooper toy?" 

"I'll see if we have any left." He said handing over Tony's receipt, he then proceeded to turn back to the kitchen space and mumble inaudibly to his co-workers.

Peter tugged at Tony's jacket, he was pointing up to a clock hung over the display cabinet for the toys, it was almost eight, Tony hadn't realised how late it was, "Dad, shouldn't we be at the award _thingy_?" 

"Nah." He ruffled Peter's hair, "I'd rather be here, but it is past your bedtime though."

"Shush." Peter creased his forehead, at the mention of bedtime, he placed a finger to his lips, "I can sleep on the plane."

Tony chuckled, "Okay sunshine, you can sleep on the plane.

"Here you go, sir…" The server said nervously, as he held out the order, Happy stepped forward to take it.

"Thank you." Tony sang, they turned back and walked towards the exit.

"Uncle Happy…" Peter said joyfully, "Do you want my fries? I don't like them that much."

"Thanks, kid." Happy said trying to maintain his work stance, "I will."

Tony bent down and tickled Peter as they walked, "Since when did you not like fries?"

"Stop it." Peter chuckled as he tried his best to worm away, "I just don't like them that much."

Tony stopped tickling, and Peter scrambled two steps ahead, "Alrighty then."

"Can I have a piggyback?" Peter asked.

"Of course." Tony bent down and his son guided himself onto his back, Peter folded his arms around Tony's front, "Should we eat when we get back to Caesars Palace or in the car?"

Peter hummed as he laid his head on Tony's shoulder, "In the car...the palace is really noisy."

"You got that right, kid."

"And people always take pictures and shout at you." He groaned, "They should ask, it's rude."

"You're right again." Tony said turning to bop Peter's nose, "It is very rude."

"You should play dress up." Peter said, "And then no one will know who you are."

"Dress up?" Tony pondered the thought for a second, "Like as a pirate or a princess?

A mischievous grin grew on Peter's face, "Or, a pirate princess!"

"A pirate princess?!" He asked flabbergasted, "Now that sounds like a good plan, I'll have to get the outfit made."

"We should do it for Halloween, I'm gonna be a pirate mermaid."

"A pirate princess and a pirate mermaid, you've got amazing ideas, Pete." Tony chuckled, "We'll have to ask Miss. Potts to order them straight away." 

"Yay." 

They turned into the entrance of Caesars Palace; Peter curled into Tony, trying his best to ignore the loud sounds of people calling out to them. One thing Tony had grown to despise about his life since Peter came along, was the media, who seemed to still be bemused by the idea of Tony having an adopted son. Some days, Peter was fine with the attention and others, he wasn't. 

"Hey, stay back!" Happy shouted.

Tony rushed inside the lobby as Peter clung tightly onto his shoulders. "Look!" Peter exclaimed, pointing out the familiar figure of James Rhodes, who was staring at Tony sternly, with his arms crossed over his chest, he had a frosted glass trophy held in his grasp.

Rhodey jabbed a finger in Tony’s direction, "You're unbelievable!"

"Oh, come on." Tony sighed, "They didn't rope you into this, did they?"

"Nobody roped me into anything." He stepped closer, "But they told me...that if I presented you with an award, you'd be deeply honoured."

"I would be deeply honoured." Tony tapped Peter's hand, "Wouldn't I, bud?" 

"Yep!" Peter grinned, "Hey, Uncle Rhodey."

Rhodey's face softened as he smiled, "Hey, Pete." He looked back down to Tony, his expression instantly switching back to irritated, "Don't try and use Peter against me, it's unfair."

"I'm not!" Tony said, his voice went high-pitched towards the end, he cleared out his throat, "Now when is this award thing...like…"

"Here." Rhodey held up the trophy.

"Oh, that was easy!" Tony smiled, "Thank you...I can't take it right now 'cause I'll drop Pete. But thank you, it means a lot, especially from you." He stepped back, "We better get going, it's a school night, and we still have to fly home."

"Don't be late tomorrow," Rhodey said.

"Yeah, you can count on it!" Tony grinned as he backed towards the exit. 

"I'm serious." 

"I know, I know." He placed a hand on his chest, "I will not be late, I promise." 

"Okay." Rhodey said unsurely, he peered up to his nephew who was shaking his head, he chuckled, "Goodnight Peter."

"Night!" 

Peter hummed to himself as they travelled out towards the car, he didn’t notice his dad glaring at members of the press, attempting to stop an ambush. He didn't even hear Happy shouting unrepeatable words to get them to move. He was just in his own little world, staring up at the night sky as he hummed the memorable melody of _Back in Black_. 

“Do you want to listen to AC/DC in the car, buddy?” Tony asked, he bent down to let Peter jump off his back.

“Nope.” He shook his head, “What about _Duran Duran_?” 

“Sounds good to me.” Tony smiled, Peter clambered into the back of the car, Happy handed him his Happy Meal, “That might be a little cold now, sorry kiddo.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Peter said, opening the box and taking out his burger.

“Mr. Stark!” A woman’s voice shouted from nearby, Tony groaned placing his head in his hand. Out of habit, Happy gently closed the car door keeping Peter settled away. “Mr. Stark! Excuse me!” The woman stopped, “Mr. Stark! _Christine Everheart,_ Vanity Fair magazine. Can I ask you a couple of questions?”

Tony turned on his foot, “Sorry, it’s a school night, and I need to get my son home.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t bring your kid to late-night benefits then.”

“I’m heading to Afghanistan tomorrow, so I wanted to spend some time with him.” He quipped, “And from an experience, that your bosses know all about, I’d rather keep him close before going on a business trip.”

“Okay.” She held up a small recording device, “I’ll let you go if I can have two minutes of your time.”

“Two minutes, go.”

“You’ve been called the Da Vinci of our time. What do you say to that?” 

“Absolutely ridiculous.” Tony sighed, “I don’t paint.”

“And what do you say to your other nickname the _Merchant of Death_?”

Tony exhaled deeply, “That’s not bad. Sounds like one of those villains I read about in my son’s comic books.” He gestured to her, “Let me guess...Berkeley?”

“Brown, actually.” She smirked.

“Well, Ms. Brown. It’s an imperfect world, but it’s the only one we’ve got. I guarantee you the day weapons are no longer needed to keep the peace; we’ll start making bricks and beams for baby hospitals.” 

“Rehearse that much?”

He nodded, “Every night in front of the mirror before bedtime.”

“I can see that.” She rolled her eyes, “All I want is the serious answer.”

Tony groaned, defeated, “Okay, here is serious. My old man had a philosophy: ' _Peace means having a bigger stick than the other guy.'"_

“That’s a great line, coming from a guy selling the sticks.”

“My father helped defeat Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project. A lot of people, including your professors at Brown, would call that being a hero.”

“And a lot of people would also call that war-profiteering.” She argued, trying to get a rise out of him. 

“Tell me, do you plan to report on the millions we’ve saved by advancing medical technology? Or kept from starvation with our intelli-crops? All those breakthroughs: military funding, honey.” He explained, “Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got a cheeseburger to eat and some _Duran Duran_ to sing.”

He backed away and gestured to the back door, Happy opened it, and Tony jumped in, sitting next to his son, who was eating his cheeseburger, “What did she want?” 

Tony nudged Peter’s chin up and grinned, “Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Peter swallowed, “You do.”

“I do not,” Tony said placing a hand on his chest, pretending to act offended. 

“What did she want?” Peter asked, again.

“A few questions about the company.” He told him, “She’s gone now.”

“Good,” Peter said taking another bite out of his burger.

* * *

Pepper walked into the Stark mansion, and like most days, she already had a _vendetta_ against Tony. All morning, she had been bombarded by phone calls and texts from, a rightly frustrated, Rhodey. She hated shouting at Tony when Peter was around, so she had to make sure he was off to school before she started bossing his dad around. She moved towards the lounge, where Peter spent most his mornings watching television before leaving for school, she stopped abruptly in her tracks, when she heard the distant chuckles of Peter and Tony, echoing from the kitchen.

She turned on her heel and strode in, with her head held high, “Morning Pepper!” Peter sang, he was sat on the counter, near the sink, dressed ready for school; Tony was by the stove, making pancakes.

“Good morning, Peter.” Pepper smiled, she held her hand back, “Your ride for school is outside.”

Peter’s shoulders deflated, and he looked down at his feet, “Oh, okay.” He adored school, being a Parker and a Stark meant he had an inquisitive mind, and a thirst for knowledge, but he didn’t enjoy leaving when he knew he wasn’t going to see his dad for a few days. 

Tony turned around and held his arms out, “Come here then buddy!” Peter leapt off the counter, into his dad’s open arms, Tony swung him around, “You be a good boy for Potts, okay? And I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Okay.” Peter hummed, Tony put him down on the floor and ruffled his hair; Peter rushed back into his arms and squeezed him tight, “I love you to the moon and back.” 

“Yeah?" Tony knelt, "That's crazy." He planted a kiss on his cheek, “I love you too.”

“See you on Monday.” Peter grabbed his rucksack from the floor and pulled out a homemade card; he zipped up his bag and placed it on his back. He shuffled over to Pepper and held out the card, “Happy Birthday!” 

“Oh, thank you, sweetheart.” Pepper smiled taking hold of it, “I’ll see you after school.”

“See you!” He dashed away to the front door.

“Have a good day, bud!” Tony called after him, he leaned over and moved the pan off the hob, “So…” He twirled around, “It’s your birthday?” He paused, “Already?”

Pepper raised an eyebrow, and her mouth twitched into a smile, “Yeah, isn’t that strange? It’s the same day as last year.”

“Well…” Tony smiled, “Get yourself something nice from me.”

“I already did.” 

“And?” He asked, playfully.

“Oh, it was very nice. Very tasteful.” Pepper beamed, “Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re welcome, Ms. Potts.” 

She held up her card from Peter, “Sadly, it’s not as great as this.”

“Kid’s an artist.” Tony grinned, “Are you sure you’re okay with looking after him while I’m away? Especially on your birthday.” 

“It’s fine.” Pepper smiled, “Peter’s amazing to look after, I always learn something new.” 

“Yeah, he’s an encyclopaedia of strange facts.” 

“Yes, he is.” Pepper’s smile faded, and she snapped into her professional persona, “You are supposed to be halfway around the world right now. Your flight was scheduled to leave an hour and a half ago.”

“I didn’t want to leave Peter alone until you got here, and he wanted to make pancakes.” He shrugged, “And I thought with it being my plane and all, that it would just wait for me to get there.”

Pepper rolled her eyes and looked down to the tablet in her arms, “I need to speak to you about a couple of things before I get you outta the door.”

Tony’s forehead creased, he collected the plates they’d used for breakfast and took them over to the dishwasher, “I mean, doesn’t it kind of defeat the purpose of having your own plane if it departs before you arrive?”

She exhaled deeply and decided to ignore him, “Larry called, he’s got another buyer for the Jackson Pollock in the wings, do you want it, yes or no?”

“Is it a good representation of his Spring Period?”

“No, the “ _Springs_ ” is actually the neighbourhood in East Hampton, where he lived and worked, not “ _spring_ ” like the season.” She explained, “I think it’s a fair example...I think it’s incredibly overpriced.”

“I need it.” Tony said, “I need it. Buy it, store it.”

“Okay... the MI commencement speech….”

“Is in June... please, don’t harangue about that stuff.”

“Well, they are haranguing me…”

“Say no.” Tony said gently, Pepper looked at him confused, “I promised Pete I’d take him to London.”

“Okay, I’ll tell them.” She sighed, she handed over a sheet and a pen, “I need you to sign this before you get on the plane.”

“Got it.” He leaned over and signed.

Pepper eventually got Tony out of the door, after practically having to push him out. She spent the rest of the day finishing paperwork and dawdling around, waiting for Peter to return from school.

She was sat in the lounge, mindlessly scrolling through her tablet, when she heard the front door click open, “Peter.” She called, ready to ask him out of his day, and if he had any homework to do. Dread settled in her stomach when she turned the corner.

Peter was standing, with his chauffeur, Henry. Peter’s eyes were full to the brim with unfallen tears, and he was clutching what seemed to be a torn apart plush toy in his hand.

“I don’t know what happened Ms. Potts.” His chauffeur said, “He won’t say anything to me.” 

“Umm..” Pepper stepped forward, “I can take it from here. Thank you, Henry.”

Henry muttered a ‘ _goodbye_ ’ to Peter and left without another word.

Peter jolted when the front door was closed, he let out a muted cry as he tightened his hand around the toy.

“Hey…” Pepper rushed over and knelt in front of him, “Hey sweetheart, what happened?”

Peter hiccupped through sobs, “A boy at school ripped my toy.”

“Oh no.” She took hold of the toy. Anger boiled in her chest, she hated seeing Peter hurt. She was already planning the profanities she’d be shouting down the phone to his school, or _perhaps_ , she could take Peter in the morning, and talk to the principal, face to face. She knew how Tony would handle this when he found out, which is why she wanted it sorted before he came home.

Peter wasn’t _hers_ , but she constantly referred to him as her kid, because that’s how she saw him. She was there, throughout his childhood, she knew his likes from his dislikes. Peter wasn’t her child, but she loved him, and she would fight any pretentious parent who thought their child was an angel, but behind closed doors, they did this _shit_ to other kids. She’d done it before, and she was sure she would keep doing it, even when Peter started high school.

Pepper placed the toy down and used the sleeve of her blazer to brush tears out of Peter’s eyes, “Why did they do that?”

“I don’t know.” Peter cried, “He’s just really mean, and he said his daddy doesn’t like Dad.”

“Well, that’s not a nice thing to say, or do.

“Dad only got it for me yesterday.” Peter sniffled, “He made sure I got this one.” 

“I know, honey.” She picked it back up, “Let’s see if I can fix it up, hey?

“Okay,” Peter mumbled, he took hold of Pepper’s hand, and they both walked through into the dining room. 

Pepper opened the cabinet in the corner of the room and took out a box of sewing materials, “Should we watch a film while I’m fixing this?”

“Um, okay.” He chewed his lip, “You get to choose ‘cause it’s your birthday.”

“Well, thank you.” Pepper smiled, “What about _Return of the Jedi_?

“Yeah.”

“Come on, let’s go and make collect some treats first.” 

* * *

Peter was happy that Pepper had been able to fix the toy, it was almost as good as new. He took it to bed that night and squeezed it in his hand. He was surrounded by countless cuddly toys because they made him feel safe, especially when Tony was away for work; Peter couldn’t wait for the day he was old enough to follow his dad on his adventures.

Peter was woken up, by the doorbell, it was being repetitively pushed, “Ugh.” He stretched his arms over his head and sat up, he blinked to adjust to the light coming from under his door, “Jarvis, who is that?” He asked sleepily, he jumped off his bed and headed to the door.

“ _It is Obadiah Stane_.” 

“What is Obi doing here?” Peter stepped out of his room, he wasn’t too confused about Obadiah’s actions, it was normal, he often arrived in the early hours of the morning to shout meaningless rants at Tony. 

Pepper walked out of the guest room, wearing her familiar infuriated expression which Peter had seen plenty of times, just never directed at him. “Who is that?” 

“Obi.” 

Pepper’s forehead creased, she tied a knot in her dressing gown and hurried towards the stairs, “For goodness sake.” She muttered, under her breath.

Peter waddled a few steps behind, still only half-awake. He wiped his eyes and watched as Pepper strode across the corridor and pressed the button on the wall.

The door opened, and Obadiah stormed in, no matter what, he always looked mad at something.

Pepper stood her ground, she placed her hands on her hips, and narrowed her eyes, “Obadiah, it’s five in the morning.” She snapped, “Tony’s not even here, could this not wait until later? Peter needs sleep before-”

Obadiah held up a hand to shut her up, “We need to talk.” Pepper gritted her teeth and bounced her foot against the floor, “It’s…” Obadiah sounded different; it was almost like he was _scared_. Peter was so used to him being angry, and he didn’t like this. Peter had thought that Obadiah wasn’t scared of anything, but this proved otherwise, “This is about Tony.”

Peter’s chest ached, and his stomach felt wrong, he charged over and locked his arms around Pepper’s leg; she pressed a hand against his back, “What’s going on?” Pepper asked, “What happened?”

Obadiah’s focus shifted onto Peter, and he scowled, “Peter, go back to bed!” He ordered, with a harsh tone, he gestured up to the stairs. Peter tightened his hold around Pepper, because he wasn’t moving an inch.

Pepper pulled him closer, “Do not talk to him like that.”

Obadiah shrugged and he took a step forward, “We should sit down.”

Pepper moved back, guiding Peter with her, “No.” She barked, but her voice shook, “Just tell me what’s going on.”

“Something has happened in Afghanistan.” Obadiah answered, “They were ambushed, whoever it was, they’ve taken Tony.”

Peter’s breath caught, the laminate flooring beneath him softened under his feet; someone took Tony, and they couldn’t find him, but Peter couldn’t do anything to help. He pushed his forehead against Pepper’s knee, to hide his face; he hated crying in front of Obadiah.

Pepper’s grip on his shoulder tightened, “They’re looking for him, right?”

“Of course.” Obadiah reassured her, “But whoever has taken him, they’ve definitely covered their tracks.” 

Pepper hiccupped a cry, “Oh, God.” She bent down and scooped Peter up in her open arms; she held him tight, and kept a hand on his back, “I got you, sweetheart.” He nestled his face against the groove of her shoulder, “Obi…” She hesitated, “Can you keep me updated?”

“Yes.”

* * *

The first day without Tony was agonisingly slow, and Pepper was at a loss. There was nothing she could say or do to make this easier on Peter; he was only seven, and although he was bright, he was a child whose dad was missing. He could be a fully-grown teenager, and this would still be hard, she couldn’t even promise that Tony would make it home because it was looking unlikely.

Peter refused to leave her side, and in their situation, she didn’t mind. She spent most of the day either carrying him or holding his hand, it ended up not only being a comfort for him but for her too.

She had to deal with Stark Industries continually calling her to talk about the companies’ stock market, she hadn’t realised how emotionless the company was until then, because no one asked how Peter was doing. 

Peter didn’t talk, not since finding out Tony was missing. All Pepper could get from him was a quiet murmur or a slight nod. 

“Do you want some dinner?”

They were curled up on the couch, Peter was leant up against Pepper’s side, and he was staring at the carpet. _Spongebob_ was playing on the television, but neither of them were paying attention.

He shook his head.

“Are you sure?” 

He muttered an inaudible _yes_ ; Pepper combed a hand through his hair and sighed in defeat.

“ _Peter, Ms. Potts…”_ Jarvis spoke, quieter than usual, “ _Colonel Rhodes has just arrived.”_

Peter scrambled out of Pepper’s grasp before she could even say anything, he charged out of the room, heading towards the front door. He hadn’t stopped crying all day, so he struggled to catch his breath as he ran, “Peter!” She leapt off the couch and followed swiftly behind, she stopped abruptly at the sight of Rhodey. 

He was hovering in the entranceway, his eyes were sunken back, from apparent lack of sleep and concern for his best friend. He got down onto his knees, and held out his arms, just in time, Peter crashed into his chest and clumsily threw his arms around his back, “I’ve got you, Pete.” Rhodey stood up, once he had a firm grip on his nephew.

Pepper locked eyes with Rhodey, hoping for some sort of miracle but he blinked away tears and shook his head. 

Peter’s throat cracked, “Are you gonna bring him back?”

Pepper’s lower lip trembled, she pressed a hand to her chest and turned away; to hear Peter’s innocently naïve and broken plea, after he had stayed silent all day, shattered her heart.

Rhodey tightened his grip on Peter, “I will never stop looking for him.” 

Peter leaned back in his arms to look him in the eye, “Promise?” 

“Yeah, Pete.” He nodded, “I promise.”

Rhodey had been ordered, by the people above him, to rest for a couple of days before starting a more extensive search. Pepper could tell he was ready to get back out there, but she persuaded him to stay for a while, for Peter

That night, Pepper and Rhodey tried to forget their hurt and focus on Peter. He lost his birth parents and had no memory of them, which was his own. There was a chance, he would lose his dad too, and in that terrifying circumstance, they had to build a world for him, where he could still _live_ if that were to happen.

They put on a few movies and sprawled out across the couch. Peter finally fell asleep, with his legs hung over Rhodey’s knees and his head rested on Pepper’s lap. Happy kept tabs on them overnight, but he was busy handling the press, but Pepper wished he could stop by; Peter needed him now, more than ever.

Rhodey fell asleep, or at least, it looked like he had.

Pepper respected Rhodey, and he was one of her best friends, but she wished he hadn’t made that promise with Peter; Peter was a tactile child, and he took promises seriously

If they never found Tony, or he turned up… _dead_ ; Pepper wasn’t sure how Peter would take it, or how he would interact with Rhodey. Peter was a forgiving person by nature, and he had been too young to grieve his biological family, but he was old enough for this.

Pepper was scared, but she had to put Peter before anything else.

The first month went by and they still knew nothing. Pepper’s life changed, she was granted temporary custody of Peter, because she would never leave him with a stranger like Obadiah had suggested

Peter went back to school after the second week, and surprisingly, it did help. It was a way for Peter to distract himself from what was going on, and he saw his friends, who took the weight of the world of his shoulders by simply being themselves.

Pepper was attempting to make a cake when Peter got in from school, he broke down into a fit of laughter at the sight of her because her face was covered in flour, “Hey, stop laughing.” She said, faking a serious tone.

“I thought you were good at cooking,” Peter walked over and dipped his finger into the bowl; Pepper playfully pushed his fingers away.

“I can cook anything for dinner, pasta, lasagne, curry, but I’m rubbish at anything sweet.”

“I’m not.” Peter shrugged, “I can help.”

“Have you finished all your homework?”

“Yep. I did it all yesterday.”

“And Jarvis didn’t help at all this time, did he?”

“ _No Ms. Potts, I just played his favourite playlist_.” 

Pepper raised her eyebrow, Peter held his arms out, “I didn’t. Last time I only asked him about English.”

She leaned over and bopped him on the nose, leaving behind a white smudge of flour, “Just because it isn’t science or math, doesn’t mean it isn’t important.” 

“I know.” He groaned, he then proceeded to thump the table excitedly, “Did I tell you?! My teacher gave me Grade 4 questions for Science because I finished all the other work.” 

“Grade 4!” Pepper exclaimed, “Peter, that’s amazing…” She watched his triumphant face fall, “Hey, what’s wrong?” 

He darted his eyes away to the floor as he let out a long exhale, “I wanna tell Dad.”

Pepper reached to gently push his chin up so that he was looking into her eyes, “He would be so proud of you.”

“Yeah.” He smiled, “And I can tell him when he gets back.”

“Yeah, _yeah_.” She stuttered, “Now, why don’t you help me finish this cake, and we can watch some television?”

“Okay.” He hopped down, “I think we should start again.”

“You think?”

“Yeah.” He picked up the bag off the table, “This is the wrong flour.” 

After finishing making the cake and eating their dinner; Peter let Pepper choose their Thursday Night Film, he had every week since Tony disappeared. She knew that he couldn’t pick any of his favourites, because Tony loved them too, and Peter didn’t want to watch those without his dad.

Pepper sat on the couch; Peter sat down on the floor with his drawings spread across the table, he was busy finishing off his latest masterpiece.

She leaned over to get a look, “What are you drawing?”

“Us.” He held it up, “Making the cake.”

“That’s very good.” She smiled, “What are you going to do with all these drawings?”

“They’re for Dad.” Peter answered, “So he knows what we’ve been doing.”

Pepper let out a hesitant breath, she moved down and sat next to him, as he scribbled away, “Peter…”

Peter didn’t even look up, “Dad is coming back.”

Sometimes Pepper forgot that Peter was only seven, he was wise beyond his years. He’d always been ridiculously intelligent, he wasn’t only academically skilled, he also understood social cues better than people double his age. It had made Pepper’s job of looking after him not particularly easy, he wasn’t like most children, but she loved him all the same. 

“I know, darling.” She sighed trying to find the right words she could say. He was smart, _yes_ , but at the same time, he was still a child. “Sweetheart, I need you to understand, that there is a chance. A small chance, but it’s there...that he won’t come back.”

Peter’s pencil dropped from his grasp, and he peered up at her with his familiar wide-eyes, “He will. Uncle Rhodey promised and Dad... wouldn’t leave me.”

Pepper darted her eyes up to the ceiling trying to stop herself from crying, her chin trembled as she reached over and wrapped an arm around him. She leaned forward kissing his unruly brown hair, she twiddled his hair with his fingers, “I get it.” She whispered, “But whatever happens, I’m not going anywhere, okay?” 

“I know.”

Pepper leaned back, cupping his cheek with her hand, “Now, maybe…” She gestured to the table covered in Peter’s artwork, “I should get a scrapbook for all of these? And we can put them all together for your dad.”

“Yeah.” Peter nodded, “I wanna do that.”

* * *

Thousands of miles away, hidden deep within caves in Afghanistan, Tony was sat with one thing on his mind, his son. Peter was at the forefront of every dream, and every waking moment Tony spent fighting for his life, surrounded by terrorists he knew would kill him when his work was done. He hadn’t mentioned Peter, those thoughts he kept to himself, he knew how dangerous those around him were, and the last thing he wanted was a price on Peter’s head too. 

Yinsen was the only man he trusted, as much a prisoner as he was. They both sat in the corner of the cave, playing a game to pass away the time, counting down to their probable demise, “You still didn’t tell me where you’re from.” 

“I’m from a small town called Gulmira.” Yinsen answered, “It’s actually a nice place.”

The thought of Peter coursed through Tony’s head, alongside memories of both Rhodey and Pepper, the only family Tony had, he sighed deeply, “You got a family?”

“Yes.” Yinsen said, “And I will see them when I leave here.” He looked up to Tony, “And you, Stark?”

Tony stared at him as a small smile grew on his cheeks, “I have a son.” 

Yinsen’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and he smiled warmly, “And he’s the one you’re fighting for?”

“Always.” Tony said, “I’m gonna see him again, I have to, I have to get back to him, whatever it takes. I can’t die, I can’t do that to him. He’s only seven, he’s lost so much already.” 

“We’ll both see those we love again.” Yinsen said reassuringly, “I’m sure of that.”

“Me too.” 

* * *

Peter loved math and solving complicated equations, but he couldn’t explain the passage of time. _No one could_. An hour is an hour, _that’s simple enough_ , but why does an hour sometimes feel like it lasts a minute, and then other times it feels like they go on for years?

Three months went by without Tony, sometimes it was slow and other times, it was super-fast.

The days Peter had nightmares were the slowest, but Pepper was always there to help. The good days were the quickest, the ones where Peter found something to do.

He spent most of his spare time down in Tony’s workshop, mostly talking to Jarvis, or reassuring both DUM-E and U that their dad was coming home. He made simple repairs to things he knew he could handle like the loose-fitting on DUM-E’s hinge. 

“DUM-E, I fixed this yesterday.” Peter moaned, noticing the creaking sound coming from the robot as he moved, “How did you do this?”

“ _He kept spinning on the spot_ ,” Jarvis told him, his tone almost snarky.

Peter chuckled as he placed a hand on the side of DUM-E, he reached for a screwdriver and started to tighten the bolt, “I might have to switch you off if you keep spinning.” DUM-E beeped back an alarmed response, “Not really.” 

_“They are both very loud Peter,”_ Jarvis remarked.

“Don’t be mean, Jay.” Peter mocked as he placed the screwdriver down onto the desk, “There you go as good as new.” DUM-E beeped joyfully, “No moving.” 

Peter sat down in Tony’s chair and span around until he was facing the entrance into the room.

He heard Pepper’s footsteps echoing down the stairs, he looked up to see her rushing down to the main entrance. When she made it to the door, he noticed the tears in her eyes, and her hands were shaking as she tried to key in the code.

He leapt out of his chair and yanked the door open, but before he could even ask her what was going on, she bent down and pulled him into a hug, as she laughed in-between hesitant sobs, “Pepper, what is it?” 

Pepper got onto her knees, and leaned back, she placed her shaking hand on Peter’s cheek, “They found him.” She stuttered, “They found your dad, Peter. He’s-- _he’s_ okay.” 

Peter’s jaw dropped. His dad was alive, and he was going to see him again, he mumbled a sentence of words that even he couldn’t understand, “Huh…” Tears filled his eyes, “Really?”

“Yeah, _yeah_.” Pepper brushed a hand through his hair, “He’s coming home, sweetheart.”

“He’s coming home.” Peter sniffled, “That’s... _cool_.”

Pepper giggled, “That’s _really cool_.”

“Can...” Peter held onto her arm, “Can I talk to him?”

“Of course.” She held out her hand, “Uncle Rhodey said you can call him now if you’d like.”

“Yes!” Peter shouted, he nodded, “Yes, please.”

“Come on then.” Peter wrapped his hand around hers, and they hurried up the stairs, towards the entranceway. She reached forward and grabbed the phone; she dialled the number. 

Peter waited by her side, wobbling back and forth impatiently. This was a good day, _the best_ , but Peter needed time to go faster. He couldn’t wait any longer to see Tony again.

“Hey, it’s me.” Pepper answered, “I have--I have Peter here with me now.” She didn’t say anything for a second, then she let out a small squeal, “Um, hey…Yeah.” She blinked away tears, “Let me give you to Peter…” She moved the phone away and held it out, “Here you go.” 

“Thank you.” Peter squeaked, he took the phone and pressed it to his ear, “Hello?”

“ _Peter_?” Tony’s familiar voice cracked through the receiver. 

Peter’s knees wobbled underneath him, and he sank onto the floor, “Dad!” He sobbed, Pepper sat opposite him and held his other hand, “Dad! Is that really you?!” 

“ _Hey, kid.”_ Tony sang gently, “ _It’s me, it’s me. I’m okay, I’m on my way home_.”

“Where did you go?” He cried, “I didn’t know where you were!” 

“ _I’m sorry Pete, I am so sorry_...”

“I missed you!” 

“ _I missed you too, so much_.” Tony told him, “ _Hey…_ ” He stopped, and another voice echoed in the background, “ _I’ve gotta go, kid, I’m getting on the plane. I love you to the moon and back_.”

“Me too.” Peter choked out, “To the moon and back.” He moved the phone down into his lap as he tried to process the fact he had just spoken to his dad, after months of waiting for him to come home.

Pepper reached forward taking hold of the phone, “You okay?”

“Am I asleep?” 

Pepper placed her hand on his cheek brushing away tears, “No. This is real sweetie, your dad’s coming home.” 

* * *

_T_ _hree months_. Tony didn’t know what to think, or to say. He was torn away from his world and held captive in a cave by a group of terrorists; it sounded like a plot to a heist, or action movie. The more he thought about it, the less real it felt. It felt like a nightmare, one of those he couldn’t escape.

The glowing arc reactor in his chest, should have been a constant reminder of the shit he went through, but for him, it wasn’t enough. Yinsen was his anchor, the person who gave his life to make sure Tony could keep living his, he was the real hero, and in those three months, he was more of a father to Tony than Howard had ever been. Tony would never forget him; he was owed that decency after the universe screwed him over.

Tony couldn’t wait to see Peter, but he was terrified.

It was three months in hell for him, but for Peter, a seven-year-old boy, his dad was snatched away in the blink of an eye, and the people he loved; Pepper, Rhodey and Happy, they couldn’t do anything to help, but be there for him.

Rhodey had already said it, the chances of Tony coming back, had been slim to none. This was one of those rare occasions where things worked out.

Tony had been caught up on everything on the flight back; he loved and respected his friends more than ever but had no idea how to thank them.

Pepper took care of Peter, and by the sound of things, she did a brilliant job, making sure Peter was loved and cared for, when he needed it most.

Rhodey was, more reckless but it came from the heart, he _promised_ Peter he would bring Tony home, and he was petrified, that his nephew would never forgive him, if Tony became a cold case, or turned up _dead_.

Happy showed his true colours; he had a cold exterior, but when it came to Peter, that melted away. Happy decided to promote Peter’s chauffeur, Henry - who used to take Peter to and from school when Tony wasn’t available - to another role. He did this, so every day, he could take Peter and keep a watchful eye on him, just in case anyone tried anything while Tony was ‘ _away._ ’

Tony was on the plane back home, and they were getting ready to land. His stomach jumped up into his throat, and his blood rushed in his ears, he dipped his chin to his chest, “Fuck.”

Rhodey snorted a laugh and nudged his shoulder against Tony’s, “Watch the potty mouth, Tones.” He teased, wearing his infectious grin that Tony hated so much, “Pete’s outside.”

Tony rolled his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat, “Shut up.” The plane touched down, and Tony flinched in his wheelchair, if Rhodey wasn’t holding onto his arm, he would have probably fallen out, “Holy shit.”

Rhodey tapped his bicep, “It’s alright.”

Tony half-smiled, and raised an eyebrow, “Thanks, honey bear.”

When the hanger doors started to open, Tony took that as his curtain call, and tried his best to stand up, which admittedly, was harder than he thought it would be; Rhodey took his good hand – the other was still in a sling – and gripped it tight, to help guide him down the ramp.

Tony looked down at his ‘ _welcome wagon_ ’ and skidded to an abrupt stop.

Pepper was standing closest, with red-rimmed eyes, and a trembling lower lip. Clinging onto her arm with all his might, and half-hidden behind her back, was Peter; Happy was off to their side, standing guard.

Tony’s throat cracked, “Wow.” He couldn’t wait a second longer; he pulled his hand away from Rhodey’s hold and charged down the ramp.

“Tony, _wait_!” Rhodey called after him, before sighing heavily in defeat.

Tony ignored the numbing pain that shot up and down his leg, he kept limping as quickly as he possibly could towards Peter

Peter let go of Pepper’s arm and bounced over, but his smile crumbled, as the time apart weighed him down; Tony’s chest tightened at the sight.

Tony knelt, and Peter fell into his arms, he threw his arms around his dad and tucked his face against his neck. Tony let out a staggered exhale, and folded one arm behind Peter’s back, he fell back onto his heels.

“Hey…” He sang softly into Peter’s ear, “Did you miss me, bud?” 

Peter chuckled through his hesitant sobs, “Yeah.” 

“Yeah?” Tony sniffled as he clung onto his son, “Here, wait a second…” He leaned backwards, he reached up and tore off the sling that was holding his right arm in place. 

Rhodey groaned frustratedly, “Tony…” 

“Rhodey…” Tony sighed, peering up at him, “I have not seen him in three months, I don’t give a _crap_ about a fractured wrist.”

Rhodey crossed his arms over his chest, knowing protesting would be unfruitful, Tony tossed the sling over his shoulder.

“So…” Tony cupped his hand over Peter’s tear-stained cheek, he used the cuff of his blazer to brush them away, “Come on.” He coaxed Peter back into his open arms, “God, I’ve missed you.”

Peter leaned his chin on Tony’s shoulder, “Where’ve you been?

“Far away.” Tony muttered as he pulled Peter in closer, “That was...far _far_ away.” He tightened his arms around his kid, and jumped onto his feet, Peter wound his legs behind his torso, “It won’t happen again.”

“Yep,” Peter agreed, with the familiar exuberance and innocence that Tony had missed. 

Tony’s focus shifted to Pepper, he snickered lightly, “Your eyes are red.” He commented, “Few tears for your long-lost boss?”

Pepper rolled her eyes as she chuckled, “Tears of joy…” She mocked, “I hate job hunting.”

Tony chuckled, “Well…” He hesitated for a moment, and then, nodded his head over at Peter; Pepper nodded, with a smile, “Thank you Ms. Potts.” 

“No problem, Mr. Stark.” She placed a hand on Peter’s back, “It was a pleasure.”

“Yeah….” Tony rolled his tongue, “Okay then, vacation’s over.” He winked at her, and turned away, towards the car; Happy opened the door, “Thanks, Hap.” Tony clambered in, and slid over to the right-hand side, “Here we are, kiddo.”

Peter sat in the middle, sandwiched between Tony and Pepper; he leaned his head against Tony’s arm.

Happy turned back to face them, “Where to, sir?”

Pepper leaned forward, “Take us to the hospital, please.”

“No, no…” Tony said shaking his head.

“Tony…” Pepper protested, “You have to go to the hospital.”

“I don’t have to do anything.” He moved his hand over to ruffle Peter’s hair, he didn’t want to discuss what he went through in front of him, “I was in captivity for three months. There are two things I want to do. I want an American cheeseburger…”

“Yay!” Peter mumbled under his breath; Tony chuckled lightly.

“Also…” Tony locked eyes with Pepper, “I want you to call for a press conference now.”

Pepper’s forehead creased, “Call for a press conference?” She asked, “What on earth for?”

“Yeah.” Tony leaned back, ignoring her questions, “Hogan, drive. Cheeseburgers first.”

“Can we go to Burger King?” Peter asked, “We had McDonald’s on Friday.”

“You had McDonald’s without me?” Tony asked, pretending to be offended; Peter’s face dropped, “I’m kidding, Petey-Pie.” He laughed, “Burger King, it is.”

“On it, sir.”

“Dad, I got something for you!” Peter said joyfully, he leaned forward and pulled out his scrapbook from behind the passenger chair. 

“Oh, what is this?” Tony took hold of it, flipping through it. It was full of Peter’s drawings, all his adventures from Tony’s time away, he had no idea what to say, and was waiting for Peter to answer.

“I drew everything that happened when you were gone.” Peter said warily, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

“Hey.” Tony pulled Peter closer, “No, no, _no_. Buddy, I’m not sad.” He closed the book and combed his hand through Peter’s hair, “They’re amazing, thank you.”

“No problem.” Peter smiled, he leaned over and curled into Tony’s side, “I knew you were gonna come back.”

“Yeah?” Tony kept brushing his hand through Peter’s messy hair, he didn’t know if it was a comfort for him, or Peter, or both, “I knew I was coming back too.” 

“Okay.” Pepper cut into the conversation as she quickly typed on her phone, “The conference will be ready when we get there.”

“Thank you.”

After grabbing their Burger King, it didn’t take long to get to the conference hall, and as they pulled up, Tony’s anxiety settled in his chest. Everything around him felt unfamiliar and strange like he was starting his life anew. The only thing anchoring him to reality was Peter, who was the constant in Tony’s life, and he was never going anywhere.

Tony turned to Peter, who was lifting his head to see the crowds of people waiting, “Ready, kid?” 

Peter shuffled closer to Tony’s side, “Can I stay with you?”

“Yeah…” Tony nudged his chin up, “You can stay with me.” 

“Thanks.”

The crowds began to cheer and roar for Tony’s arrival, it was ridiculously loud.

Obadiah was upfront, ready to greet them, he hurried towards the car, but made a show to the press who surrounded him, “Look at this!” He exclaimed, he pulled the door open, “Huh?” He wore his, ear-to-ear, paparazzi smile, and held his arms out, “Tony!”

Tony jumped out and wiped his face with a napkin; Obadiah pulled him into his arms, and then leaned back, keeping his hands pressed against Tony’s shoulders, “I thought you’d be in a hospital.”

“No.” Tony shook his head, and then turned back to the car, pulling away from Obadiah’s grasp, “Hey, kiddo.” He held out his hand, and Peter clutched it, as he hopped out, “Stay close."

“Look at you,” Obadiah tapped Tony’s shoulder again, but he ignored Peter, which in reality, he had been doing since Tony adopted him.

Peter hid away, behind Tony’s leg, “Hold that, Obi.” He bent down to Peter’s level, “You alright? Do you wanna stay in the car?”

“I’m okay.” Peter smiled, “I wanna stay with you.”

“Okay.” Tony kissed his cheek, “Don’t let go of my hand, alright?”

“I won’t,” Peter said, tightening his grip.

“That’s my boy.” Tony stood back up; Happy leaned over, with the Burger King bag, Tony buried his hand and took out his burger. 

“Oh, _burger_ , you had to have a burger.” Obadiah teased, “Did you get me one of those?”

“Sorry, there were only two left…” Tony mocked, “Pete and I needed them.” 

Crowds of press swarmed the trio, as soon as they stepped inside; Peter latched himself to Tony’s leg, overwhelmed by the flashing lights and loud mumbles, but Tony knew he couldn’t persuade him to leave his side.

“Obi, hold this.” Tony handed his burger to Obadiah, and knelt, with one swift swoop, he picked Peter up; Peter tied his legs around Tony’s front, and Tony supported him with his good arm. Tony gestured over to Obadiah, who handed him back his burger, “Thanks.”

Obadiah strode into the room, it was alive with applause, “Hey, look who’s here!

They wadded their way through the crowds of press screaming thousands of questions at Tony, “You can go and stand with Pepper if you need to.” He whispered in Peter’s ear.

“No…” Peter laid his head on Tony’s shoulder, “I’m good.”

“Alrighty.” They made it to the platform at the front, “Let’s sit.” Tony sat down, in front of the stand; he carefully guided Peter onto his lap, and then bit into his burger, while keeping one arm firmly wrapped around Peter’s front.

Obadiah hummed into the microphone and then realised that Tony had sat down, “Oh.”

“I hope you don’t mind Peter being here.” Tony started, “It’s just, you know, we haven’t seen each other in ages, and he’s adorable, so none of you can complain.”

Peter leaned his head against Tony’s chest and whined, the press chuckled lightly.

Tony lifted his hand in the air and lowered it down, “Hey, would it be alright if everyone sat down?” The press all stared at him, believing he was joking, “Will you sit down?” They all started to sit down after realising he was serious, “That way you can see me, and I can... A little less formal…”

Obadiah sat beside Peter and Tony, he reached forward and clutched Tony’s shoulder.

“Good to see you,” Tony muttered quietly over to Obadiah.

“Good to see you.”

“I never got to say goodbye to Dad.” Tony spoke quietly, he pulled Peter closer, knowing what he had been through without him, “I never got to say goodbye to my father.” He said louder, so the press could hear him, “There’s questions that I would’ve asked him; I would’ve asked him how he felt about what his company did...if he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts.”

Tony had realised in his time away how dangerous and corrupt Stark Industries had become; he wondered if Howard had known and if he did, _why did he keep going?_ _Did he keep going in the knowledge that those around him could get hurt?_ Like Tony or Maria. Tony couldn’t imagine letting the company carry on with its destructive capabilities, not with Peter on the line, but he knew he loved Peter more than Howard had ever loved him. 

“Or maybe he was every inch of a man we all remember from the newsreels.” Tony shrugged, as he placed the wrapper for his burger down onto the floor. Peter peered up at him, giving him a reassuring nod, “I saw young Americans killed...by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them.” He said, “And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero-accountability.”

The press started to mutter his name; Tony gestured to a man sat close to the front who had politely put his hand up, “What happened over there?”

Tony wasn’t going to get into that, not with Peter nearby, “I had my eyes opened.” He gently pushed Peter’s back, his son jumped up and took Tony’s hand as they travelled behind the stand, the crowd raised with them, “I came to realise that I have more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark International…”

Peter yelped, simultaneously, with the whole room.

Obadiah rushed over trying to pull Tony away from behind the stand, but Tony wasn’t done, “Until such a time, as I can decide what the future of this company will be, what direction it should take, the one I’m comfortable with, and is consistent with the highest good of this country and the world.”

“Okay…” Obadiah shoved Tony away from the stand and took his place.

Tony avoided eye contact with the press, he held onto Peter’s hand, and guided him down the back steps, away from the noise.

“What we should take away from this......is that Tony’s back!” Obadiah shouted, trying to calm the room, “And he’s healthier than ever.”

Escaping the media took longer than Tony had anticipated, but when they finally made it back home, he’d never been more relieved to see his front door, “We’re home, kid.” He muttered to Peter, who was fast asleep in the back of the car, “Yeah, I’m tired too.” He scooped him into his arms, and headed towards the house, Pepper followed behind

“So, I’ve started moving back into my apartment…” She whispered, “Some of my stuff is still here though, I’ll pick it up later, sorry about the mess in the guest room…”

“Potts.” Tony sighed as he pushed the door open, “There is no need to apologise, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done.”

“I wasn’t going to leave him with a stranger.” Pepper commented, “Especially not the one Obadiah planned.” 

Tony couldn’t the stomach the idea of Peter being left with a stranger, “Yeah, Obadiah has never been happy with the way I’ve raised Peter, but I wasn’t going to be like... _you know_.”

“I know.” Pepper smiled, “You’re a brilliant dad.” 

Tony raised his eyebrows, “Thank you.” He stepped into the house and turned to face her, “You can stay tonight if you want.”

“No, you and Peter need to get settled.” Pepper told him, “But I will be here at the usual time tomorrow morning.”

“Goodnight, Miss. Potts.” 

“Goodnight, Mr. Stark.” She turned around, and the door closed behind her.

Tony spun around and took in the familiarity of his home, as he cradled Peter in his arms, “Hello Jarvis.”

“ _Welcome home, sir.”_

“Home.” He said softly, he leaned his head against Peter’s, “Let’s get you to bed, young man.” 

Peter sleepily moved his head closer to Tony’s neck, seeking the intimacy they had both been deprived of, the connection that had cruelly been ripped away, “Okay…” Peter muttered under his breath, “Bedtime.”

A quiet, unsure chuckle erupted from Tony’s throat, and he started the walk up towards Peter’s room; he knew he had fought to come home, but he was still afraid that he was going to wake up and be back in the cave, miles away from him; Peter’s tight grip and utterly unique mannerisms were proof that Tony was finally _home_

Tony helped a semi-conscious Peter clean his teeth and change into his Star Wars pyjamas; he pushed back the covers as he lifted him and lay him down, making sure he was comfortable. He brushed his hand through his hair and kissed his forehead, “I love you.”

“To the moon and back,” Peter mumbled into his pillow, and he curled his legs close to his chest.

“To the moon and back.”

Tony went to bed, after having a quick bite to eat. He was more awake than he had ever been before. He placed his hand over his arc reactor, concentrating on the small vibration; it was proof that he was alive. Alive, and back home, with Peter, who was only a bedroom away, instead of seven thousand miles. 

He brought a hand to his face and debated getting out of bed to check on Peter; his mindset had him on red alert, and he felt like he needed to check on his son continually; to make sure he was breathing, to guarantee that he was real. He knew it was self-deprecating, but he couldn’t help the fear weighing him down, he didn’t care about what he had been through, only what Peter had.

He bolted upright in his bed and yelled when he heard the door click open, but his face dropped when he saw a bleary-eyed Peter hovering in the doorframe, startled by Tony’s outburst, “Peter…” Tony gulped, “Buddy, I’m so sorry…I didn’t mean...”

“It’s okay.” Peter squeaked, “Can I sleep in your bed, please?” 

“Yeah..” Tony tapped the space beside him, “Yeah, of course.”

Peter shut the door and waddled over to the bed, he climbed up and parked himself next to Tony, “Did you have a bad dream?”

Tony shrugged, “Kinda.” 

Peter avoided eye contact and looked at his feet, “Me too.” 

“Yeah?” Tony asked, placing a hand against Peter’s back, “What about?”

“You.” He admitted, he twiddled his thumbs, “It’s been a long time since you went missing.” 

“I guess it has.” Tony tilted Peter’s chin up with his finger, “But I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Peter nodded, out of pure curiosity, he prodded the arc reactor, which was shining through Tony’s pyjama t-shirt; Tony had explained what it was in the car, but Peter hadn’t had a chance to see it, “So, this keeps you alive?”

“It sure does, bud.” 

“Wow.” Peter marvelled, “It’s awesome.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Tony wrapped an arm around Peter, and playfully pulled him back, while tickling him, “Come on, we have to go to sleep.”

“Stop it.” Peter laughed as he squirmed around, trying to escape Tony’s troublesome mischief.

“Okay, _okay_.” Tony pulled the duvet up over them, “Let’s get some sleep.”

“Yeah.” Peter curled up and laid his head on Tony’s chest, “Hmm.” Tony twirled Peter’s hair around his finger, hoping it would help him drift off.

Tony noticed that Peter’s ear was pressed against the arc reactor, “You can’t be comfy.”

“It’s okay.” Peter hummed, “I like the noise it makes.”

When they woke up in the morning, Tony couldn’t be bothered to check the tabloids or ask Jarvis for the morning news, he knew what they were going to say, and he didn’t give a shit. He’d made his choice, and he wasn’t going back on it. He phoned Peter’s school, and asked for time off, due to extenuating circumstances, he didn’t even need to argue.

He then raced Peter down to the kitchen, and they got started on a fresh batch of pancakes.

Pepper arrived, right on time; Tony could imagine she had a few things to say, she hurried towards the kitchen, “Thought I’d find you both in here.”

Peter was sitting on the breakfast bar, still in his pyjamas, swinging his legs, “Morning, Pepper.”

“Morning, Honey.” She smiled, “Shouldn’t you be heading off to school?” 

“I phoned in.” Tony turned away from the stove, “They said we could have as much time as we want for Peter to settle back into our old routine, right buddy?”

Peter moved down onto a chair, “Yep, and it starts with pancakes!” He grinned, digging into his breakfast. 

“Nice.” Pepper said, “Okay, Tony, we have a lot to talk about.”

“I thought you might say that.” Tony winked, he walked over to Pepper, “I know what I did yesterday was a surprise…”

“You can’t call that a surprise, Tony.” Pepper argued, “That... _that_ was a bombshell, this is gonna impact your life more than you know.”

“Potts, I knew what was going to happen if I did this.” Tony told her, “Trust me, I’ve had three months to think about this.” He placed a hand on his chest, “I saw people….” He dotted his eyes over to his son, “Innocent people die, and I had to stop it.”

“I get that, but you could have, perhaps done it with a little more subtlety.” She suggested, “Anyway, I’ve got calls to answer and emails to send, I’ll be in the office.”

“Thank you, Ms. Potts,” Tony said as she turned and walked out.

Peter cringed and let out a prolonged disgusted groan; Tony spun on his heel to look at him, with a singular raised eyebrow, Peter pointed to the door, “You like _like_ her.”

“No, I do not.” Tony said defensively, “I like...her as a friend, but not like a…” He swallowed his rambling, “And anyway, Mister, what do you know about it?”

“Okay.” Peter mused, he took a few seconds to chew his pancakes, “Hey, Dad?”

“Yeah, bud?”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Why?”

“You are not making weapons anymore.” Peter said, “That’s cool; I never liked them.”

“Really?” Tony said, with a quizzical tone, “What do you think we should build instead?”

“Things like Jarvis, and DUM-E.” He shrugged, “They could be helpful for other people too.”

“ _I don’t think DUM-E could be helpful to anyone else_ ,” Jarvis said, deadpan.

Tony and Peter erupted into a fit of laughter, “Wow Jay, did you get meaner since I’ve been gone?” 

“ _Peter has been watching a lot of Spongebob, sir_.” 

Peter chuckled, “He likes Squidward.” 

“I can see that.” Tony shook his head as he giggled, “Okay kid, maybe you’re right, I could build helpful, good things.

“And save more people.” 

His eyes crinkled in the corner as he smiled, “Yeah...save more people.”

* * *

Peter spent the latter half of his afternoon sat in front of the television with Pepper, while Tony was downstairs in his workshop. Peter was reading _Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets_ , which was propped against his folded legs; he was ignoring the news channels Pepper was surfing through because they were being mean about Tony.

“Peter….” Pepper tapped his shoulder, he looked up, “Your dad wants me to go and help him with something, so you can have the TV if you like.” She held out the remote, Peter took it off her and placed it on the armrest.

“Thank you..” Peter said, closing his book

“I’ll be back in a second.” She skipped away towards the workshop stairs. 

Peter flickered through the channels, for a while, trying to find something to watch. He stopped when he saw himself. _Well_ , it was a picture of Tony carrying him through the crowds at the press conference.

Without even thinking about it, he fumbled for the remote and unmuted the television. 

“ _I think this picture paints a thousand words_.” A female voice said as the picture cut back to a table of three people, two men and her. It wasn’t the news, Peter recognised it as early evening talk show that Pepper sometimes watched, “ _Tony Stark is very protective of his son_.”

“ _And that’s his problem_.” One of the men shrugged, he gestured forward, “ _Howard Stark wasn’t the best father, we all know that, but he was brilliant at running the company. At least he had the mentality to keep the company going! Tony is too soft, adopting the Parker boy was a mistake, and that kid is the reason the company is gonna fall under_.” 

“ _I don’t think we can blame his kid_.”

Peter smashed the off button with his thumb and pushed the remote off the couch. He flinched when it hit the floor. His chest ached, and he didn’t know why; he just needed Tony - he knew that much. He jumped off the couch, his book fell onto the floor, the sound made his ears ring.

His eyes weren’t working properly, he could see wavy lines, and every time he took a step, the room wobbled like he was on a rollercoaster.

“Dad!” He called, but his voice was quiet. He took another step, but the carpet felt too soft underneath his feet, and he fell onto his knees. 

Jarvis’ voice echoed around the room, but Peter couldn’t hear what he was saying. He closed his eyes and held his hands over his ears, he was sure he was screaming, but he heard no noise. 

“Peter!” Tony’s familiar voice shouted, “Bud?”

Peter opened his eyes, but everything was out of focus, “Dad.” He could see the figure of Tony, knelt in front of him, “Dad.” Tony wrapped his fingers around Peter’s wrists and pulled them away from his ears.

Tony guided Peter’s hands down into his lap; he gently pushed Peter’s chin up, so that he was looking at him, “Hello. _Hi_. It’s me.” 

Peter flinched and closed his eyes again, not saying a word back to Tony.

“Jarvis, dim all the lights, please.” Tony ordered urgently; he combed his hand through Peter’s hair, the lights around them dimmed down to their lowest setting, “Hey, kiddo, I’m here. What’s going on?” 

“I can’t---” Peter sobbed, “ _Dad_ \--”

“Peter, open your eyes.” Peter blinked his eyes open, “There you go. What can you see right now?”

“You…” He and pulled on Tony’s shirt, threading the material through his fingers, he noticed Pepper stood a few paces behind his dad, “Pepper…” His breath hitched, “Dad…”

“Hey, _hey_.” Tony cupped his cheek in his hand, “You’re doing so well, baby. It’s just us, okay? You’re safe.” 

Peter hiccupped, “I’m scared."

Tony leaned his forehead against Peter’s, “Listen to me.” He soothed, "I know, this sucks...I know, but it’s gonna end, though, I promise.” He leaned back, “Just breathe with me.”

“Okay.” 

Tony breathed, in and out, Peter copied him. It didn’t take long, and Peter started to feel a whole lot better, Tony messed up Peter’s hair again, “Attaboy, that’s it.”

“Sorry.” He sniffed using the sleeve of his jacket to wipe his face.

“No, no….” Tony drew him into a hug and cradled his head, “You’re not in trouble. You did nothing wrong.” 

“I’ll get him some water,” Pepper said, before hurrying away to the kitchen

“What was that?” Peter hummed against Tony’s neck.

“It was a panic attack.” He told him, “It happens when we’re scared or anxious. And you feel scared...like you’re gonna…” He coughed, “But they always end, _always._ ”

“Why’d it happen?”

“I was gonna ask you that.” Tony said, “Jarvis just told me you were having a panic attack, and I charged up here straight away.”

“I was…” Peter looked over to the television, “Hmm.”

“Hey, buddy…” Tony said calmly, moving Peter’s head back towards him, “Just concentrate on me.”

Peter stared at him, “They said it was my fault.”

Tony’s forehead creased, “What do you mean?”

“There was this show, and they were talking about you.” Peter babbled, “And the man said…it was a mistake.”

“What was a mistake?”

“Me.” 

Pepper stopped moving towards them, and gasped; Tony looked up at her, both of them looked shocked, but angry too.

Peter darted his eyes between them, “Am I?”

Tony jolted and shook his head, “No, no, you are not a mistake.” He leaned forward and planted a kiss on his head, “You are the best thing that ever happened to me, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Hey, honey.” Pepper placed the cup of water in Peter’s hand, “Drink this.”

“Thanks, Pepper,” Peter mumbled before downing the glass of water.

“Jarvis, what show was Peter watching?” Tony asked, keeping a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“ _It was Patrick Desmond’s Talkshow, sir_.” Jarvis answered, “ _And the man in question was Justin Hammer_.”

Tony brought his fingers to the brim of his nose, “Damn it.” He looked up to Pepper, “Can you contact Hammer Industries and just---”

“I got it, Tony.” Pepper said, attempting to fight back her anger, “Trust me.”

“Oh, I do.” He said as he took the glass out of Peter’s hand and placed it on the floor, “Do you wanna come and help me in the workshop?”

“M’kay.” Peter mumbled, “I feel a bit wobbly.”

“Yeah, that’s normal, bud.” He scooped Peter up into his arms, “I’ll ask Uncle Rhodey to bring some of your favourite ice cream.”

“Yay.” 

Tony walked towards the workshop door and then bounced down the stairs.

When they made it in, he sat Peter down in his desk chair, and bopped his nose, he kneeled in front of him, and took his hands, “I never want you to feel like I don’t want you.” He tapped his arc reactor, “I need you, I really do, and I always will.”

“I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction does stick to canon, but I know Endgame was not the ending everyone wanted, and I'm not a jerk, there is an alternative happy ending, you can keep reading this one and I will link the happy ending when the time comes :)


End file.
